There’s no question about it – Doom Eternal is a remarkably impressive technical achievement. The id Tech 7 engine delivers exceptionally high-quality visuals at a smooth 60 frames per second across the full range of PlayStation and Xbox consoles. We witnessed a boost in texture quality, geometry density and world scale. It’s a game that really demonstrates the full potential of these machines, while laying the technological foundation for the next generation. In theory, this should make a potential Switch conversion of the game even more challenging than prior Panic Button ports of id Tech titles and yet, there’s a good argument here in saying that this the talented developer’s most impressive work yet.

Of course, by any virtually any measurable criteria – bar power consumption, of course! – the Switch rendition of Doom Eternal is the least preferable way to play the game. In fact, it calls to mind … Read the rest

2020 was a big year for Microsoft Flight Simulator. After a decade and a half away, Microsoft’s partnership with French studio Asobo delivered a sterling return to the world of hardcore simulation, and a little more besides – centred around a feat I still haven’t tired of as I explore new corners of the world. It harnessed the breadth and depth of Microsoft’s technical expertise, from Bing to Azure, to create a truly breathtaking 1:1 replica of the entire globe. Small wonder it ended up being one of my – and many others – games of the year.

“[The reception] has been so generous,” head of Microsoft Flight Simulator Jorg Neumann tells me over Microsoft Teams (naturally) of the sim’s first few months. “When you come back after 14 years, you wonder how you’re going to be received. You were gone for a while, the segment has moved. But I … Read the rest